Locked in a mental battle with India captain Virat Kohli when the result in Ranchi appeared a formality, Peter Handscomb had little interest in blinking first.
Kohli tested the patience of umpire Ian Gould late on day five of the third Test, refusing to shake hands and walk off even though Handscomb had guided Australia to a point where they couldn't lose.
Gould repeatedly asked Kohli in the final 30 minutes of the match whether he'd like to call it. Kohli eventually agreed the contest had reached its inevitable conclusion, with Handscomb finishing 72 not out after facing 200 balls.
There was a school of thought Kohli desperately wanted his side to dismiss Glenn Maxwell, having taken exception to the recalled allrounder's shoulder grab earlier in the match.
Maxwell and Kohli exchanged terse words out in the middle, but Handscomb believes the firebrand wasn't being petty when he extended the stalemate.
"They thought they could win it from any position. If they got a couple of wickets, they felt they could go through us," Handscomb said.
"That's their self-belief.
"I was kind of hoping that come drinks in the final session he was going to say 'that'll do, thanks' and we'll walk off.
"But it was great from us just to stonewall and stay out there and show that we can compete on a day five wicket in India."
Having looked comfortable in the series, only to fall for 22, 19, 16, 24 and 19, the Victorian was desperate to be at the crease when stumps were pulled.
"The pressure is there the whole time," he said.
"That's definitely up there with the toughest conditions I've played in.
"Once you are batting for that long you don't want to give your wicket away and it is nice to walk away with the red ink."
The way Handscomb negotiated star spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja was proof his unorthodox technique can stand up on the subcontinent.
The right-hander is naturally keen to back it up and produce another game-changing knock in the series decider that starts in Dharamsala on Saturday.
'Facing a lot of balls out in the middle, that helps coming into the next Test. Having that self-belief, knowing that now I can do it," Handscomb said.
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